National health insurer Humana said it is making it easier for its members to get tested for COVID-19 at home or via drive-thru pharmacies.
The company said it will pay for certain plan members to access LabCorp. at-home COVID-19 tests. It is also partnering with Walmart and Quest Diagnostics to offer testing at Walmart drive-thru pharmacies across the country.
"Our members continue to be worried about COVID-19, including the anxiety about possibly having it and not knowing it. We want to help alleviate that stress. This is an additional step we can take to help address their concerns," Mona Siddiqui, Humana senior vice president of clinical strategy and quality said in a news release.
Humana said it will continue to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 tests and treatment. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed into law in March, requires health insurers to pay for the diagnostic tests at no cost to members when medically necessary. Recent CMS guidance also clarified that insurers must cover at-home testing when ordered by a healthcare provider who deems the test medically appropriate for the patient.
Humana said members with COVID-19 symptoms or who have been exposed to the coronavirus will be given an option to receive an at-home test or drive-thru testing after using a risk-assessment tool on the insurer's website. LabCorp will mail at-home test kits within one business day, and members generally receive them within one to two days of requesting the test, a Humana spokesman said.
Members who opt for drive-thru testing currently can visit 65 Walmart locations. Humana and Walmart are working on opening 500 test sites by the end of the summer, the spokesman said.
Members with Medicare Advantage, Medicare supplement, Medicaid and employer plans are eligible for the tests, Humana said. Those with only Medicare prescription-drug plan coverage, stand-alone vision or dental coverage, or Tricare do not qualify for the program.
